Reeves: How Ottawa can help ease conversions of empty office buildings into housing

By Andrew Reeves, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed, October 31, 2023

As an architect and business owner living and working in Ottawa, I am deeply troubled by the current and possible future state of our city. Currently, our city is suffering. The downtown is empty, businesses are closing, and the situation is about to get much worse.

In the next 18 to 24 months, the federal government plans to sell or not renew leases on a significant number of properties in Ottawa.

...One key solution is the adaptive reuse of existing vacant office buildings to residences

...However, there are significant challenges to the adaptive reuse of office buildings. These include regulatory barriers such as city regulations and zoning laws.

...Calgary serves as an example of successful downtown revitalization through the adaptive reuse of office buildings. 

Find the whole article here.

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